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4 WHEEL THUNDER FAQ & Strategy Guide
Version 1.35
by
Incossee
___________________
-= TABLE OF CONTENTS =-
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Section A. INTRODUCTION
A.1: Update History
A.2: Abstract of 4 Wheel Thunder
Section B. IMPORTANT GAMEPLAY TIPS
B.1: Tapping Boost
B.2: Quick Start Trick
B.3: Shortcuts
B.4: Power-Ups
B.5: Grip
B.6: Terrain
B.7: Getting Air
B.8: Clean Pause and Soft Reset
B.9: Game Shark Codes
Section C. VEHICLE STATISTICS
C.1: Monster Truck [Type 1]
C.2: Monster Truck [Type 2]
C.3: Buggy [Type 1]
C.4: Buggy [Type 2]
C.5: Jeep [Type 1]
C.6: Jeep [Type 2]
C.7: Quad [Type 1]
C.8: Quad [Type 2]
C.9: *BONUS* Vehicles
Section D. PRACTICE MODE
Section E. ARCADE MODE
E.1: Arcade Outdoor
E.2: Arcade Indoor
Section F. CHAMPIONSHIP MODE
F.1: Points
F.2: Money
F.3: Series 1
F.4: Series 2
F.5: Series 3
F.6: Series 4
F.7: The Ending
Section G. INDOOR TRACK GUIDE
G.1: Indoor Corsica
G.2: Indoor Canada
G.3: Indoor Scandinavia
G.4: Indoor Far West
G.5: Indoor Iceland
G.6: Indoor Atlas
Section H. OUTDOOR TRACK GUIDE
H.1: Far West [Daylight & Night]
H.2: Canada [Daylight & Rain]
H.3: Corsica [Daylight & Rain]
H.4: Scandinavia [Daylight & Storm]
H.5: Jordan Daylight
H.6: Greece [Daylight & Sunset]
H.7: Norway [Daylight & Night]
H.8: Iceland [Daylight & Snow]
H.9: Atlas [Daylight & Sandstorm]
H.10: The Alps Cloudy
Section I. FINAL NOTES
________________
-=A. INTRODUCTION =-
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is intended as a comprehensive guide to 4 Wheel Thunder, an offroad
racing game for the Sega Dreamcast game console. Most every important piece
of information about the game can be found here. If you're having problems
winning races, are curious about certain elements of the game, or just want
to learn some good tips or tricks that are useful in being successful at 4
Wheel Thunder, this guide should be beneficial. For optimal viewing, you
should read and/or print this in a fixed-width font (such as "Courier.")
====================
A.1 Update History
====================
Version 1.35- Revised on 6/07/00: A very minor update with a few more edits,
but no major additions. In the Jordan track guide, I described a section of
the track incorrectly, so that was fixed. A few other parts were reworded
for the sake of clarity. The new ASCII logo has now been added.
Version 1.3- Revised on 6/02/00: A few more minor edits. Added Indoor and
Outdoor Track Guide sections. Though some more minor revisions or additions
may follow, and an update will be added if any new codes are revealed, this
should be the last significant update. The guide is now essentially
complete.
Version 1.2- Revised on 6/02/00: More minor corrections, editing, format
alterations, and typo fixes. Added Table of Contents and numbered each
section for convenience of use. Changed the Power-Ups section to part of
the Tips section. Added the all-important quick start trick and Game Shark
codes to the Tips section (thanks Dave.)
Version 1.1- Revised on 6/01/00: Minor corrections and clarifications made
throughout. Game abstract added. Clean pause and soft reset were added to
tips section. Visual descriptions of the bonus vehicles added.
Version 1.0- Finished on 5/31/00: First released version.
=================================
A.2 Abstract of 4 Wheel Thunder
=================================
"4 Wheel Thunder is the next generation offroad racer, featuring
graphics that push the limit of the Dreamcast and the ability
to upgrade your car in a myriad of ways allowing the player to
create the ultimate offroad vehicle.
Be one with your vehicle as you race from the searing heat of
the desert to the slippery ice of the mountains. Taste the dust,
smell the tires burning, experience all the slides and bumps,
and exhilarate in the feeling of victory as you speed by your
opponents for the win!"
This is from the text file found on the GD-ROM and is a reasonable, if not
rather cheesy self-promotional description of the game. Though some of the
early tracks (particularly the indoor ones) may seem a bit boring, the later
tracks get pretty wild and intense. Give the game some time and it will
grow on you and become very addictive. It may seem tough at first, but
don't let the reviews fool you, this game is not excessively challenging,
and nowhere near as hard to beat as its predecessor, Hydro Thunder,
particularly if you use the tips and tricks noted in this guide.
Combining great "boost" gameplay, lots of intelligent complex and widely
varied track design, smooth easy-to-learn controls, plenty of different game
modes, and incredible 60 fps, no pop-up, no-draw-in, high-res, high detail
graphics, this is a superb game worth playing, and in my opinion, the best
DC racer around. And make sure you give 2-player mode a shot, because it's
top-notch. With a friend, it looks and plays just as well as in 1-player
and is a great deal of fun.
___________________________
-=B. IMPORTANT GAMEPLAY TIPS =-
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
===================
B.1 Tapping Boost
===================
This is the most important key to winning in 4WT. To boost, TAP the boost
button, rather than hold it. You don't need to tap it frantically, just
about 2 times a second, and you will be able to maintain top speed. This
will conserve boost, allowing you to miss boosts and avoid inconveniently
placed ones, yet still have enough boost to maintain top speed throughout
the race. Certain turbo controllers can simulate this, but if you don't
have such a controller, tapping the button is just as, if not more,
effective.
=======================
B.2 Quick Start Trick
=======================
The good ol' staple of arcade racers, the quick start trick is indeed
present in 4WT and here's how you do it: During the countdown before the
race, press nothing during "3,2,1" and wait until the screen says "GO!"
Right as that happens press the Accelerate and Boost buttons at the same
time (R+A on the default control setup) to get a quick start. If done
properly, you will shoot out boosting extremely fast (faster speeds than
usually possible on the ground for a brief moment) and have 4 seconds worth
of boost fuel with which to start the race. The timing isn't too tough, so
you should be able to get it right away. Try it out in Practice mode a few
times, doing quick race restarts from the pause screen until you've got it
down cold.
===============
B.3 Shortcuts
===============
Another important key to winning is taking the right routes. Some levels
are so labyrinthine that you can get lost, like Jordan, Greece, and Atlas.
Practice taking different routes and pay close attention to whether you lose
time on your opponent, gain time, or pass opponents. Almost every outdoor
level has one or two significant shortcuts that if you take each lap, will
practically guarantee victory. Conversely, if you end up taking longcuts,
losing is inevitable unless you race perfectly. If you find yourself having
a really great race, but come in 3rd or worse, chances are that you are
probably taking the wrong path. Also keep an eye out for hedges and brush
that partially obscure hidden pathways. These are often (but not always)
the best paths to take. If you watch the CPU players, you can often see
them taking shortcuts you didn't know were there, so pay attention. Also,
most of the lowly CPU opponents take the worst routes, while the higher
ranking ones take the best routes, so use that information for your benefit
as well. In Championship mode, keep an eye out for hidden "$" icons...
there's a lot of money to be found out there. Just be careful that money
collection doesn't cost you a win, because many times it's located in very
out-of-the-way places. NEVER jeopardize a victory by going for bonus cash.
It's just not worth it, and some "$"s are best ignored.
===============
B.4 Power-Ups
===============
There are a few different items/power-ups you can collect in 4WT and they
are important to pick up if you want to win. Here's what each icon does for
you:
"BOOST" (blue): Adds 4 seconds* of boost fuel to your vehicle
"BOOST" (red): Adds 9 seconds* of boost fuel to your vehicle
* Each vehicle can only hold up to a maximum of 20 seconds
worth of boost fuel at any given time.
"$" (green): Worth $50 (only available in Championship mode)
"$" (gold): Worth $300 (only available in Championship mode)
==========
B.5 Grip
==========
Having low "grip" in 4WT isn't the same as in most racing games. Low grip
for a vehicle doesn't mean loss of control and spinning out. Spinning out
happens when you hit a wall at high speed with highly uneven wheels, and is
independent of your vehicle's grip. What a lack of grip does is allow for
your vehicle to resist terrain rutting your wheels, and turn sharply with
ease. An extreme lack of grip (i.e. buggies) will cause some sliding, but
in general, low grip is a means of compensating for low handling. Do not
look at low grip as a bad thing, because if anything, high grip is something
to avoid.
=============
B.6 Terrain
=============
There are myriad terrain types in 4WT, from dirt to grass, mud, rocks,
water, sand, snow, ice, and even lava. Pay attention to what types your
vehicle handles well and which types it does not. Keep in mind that this is
an OFFROAD game, so embrace cutting through rugged terrain, rather than
avoid it like you might in some sissy sim racer. The road is often the last
place you want to find yourself. But more important that the different
terrain conditions, you need to pay attention to bumps and ridges in the
ground. There are bumps all over the place (most prominently in Scandinavia
outdoors) that can throw you off if you're not careful, so it is important
to angle your vehicle properly when you hit them. On large jumps a small
difference in take-off angle can mean the difference between being ahead by
a few seconds or behind by a few seconds.
=================
B.7 Getting Air
=================
Hitting bumps and jumps can be dangerous, but when hit correctly, they can
be a very good thing. Because of the use of "boost," your vehicle can get
serious speed when airborne, much more speed than possible when grounded.
The bigger the jump, the riskier, as mistakes get amplified, so make it a
priority to align yourself right for jumps and the payoff will be big. When
you've learned tracks well enough to find the right angles, you'll be
hitting jumps at full speed all the time, and breaking records like crazy.
================================
B.8 Clean Pause and Soft Reset
================================
Like most Dreamcast games, you can make a clean pause screen by pressing X+Y
while paused. Also, like most DC games, you can reset the game by pressing
A+B+X+Y+Start.
======================
B.9 Game Shark Codes
======================
Since the Dreamcast Game Shark has just been released and I do not own one,
I have no idea if these are accurate. If you've got a Game Shark and find
that these are incorrect, please let me know. One editorial remark,
however, and that is that using either of these codes will pretty much ruin
all the fun of Championship mode for you. I'd say don't use them if you
want to really enjoy the game, but of course whether you use them or not is
entirely up to you. If you decide to use them, here they are:
Infinite Money: 821B8F2A00000010
999 Points: 1FB414BB000003E7
______________________
-=C. VEHICLE STATISTICS =-
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Listed are the stats for all 60 vehicles in 4WT. Stats are to within 0.25
points (sometimes it's a little hard to tell the difference between a "6.5"
and a 6.75.") Be careful though, as the stats for vehicles don't paint the
whole picture, not by a longshot. The Type 1 Jeep for instance has poor
looking stats but is a great vehicle, while the Quads have great stats but
are pretty lousy vehicles. Higher level customizations are newly modeled
and textured versions of the originals. Vehicles get new wheels, paint
jobs, spoilers, bumpers, blowers, support cages, and other goodies as they
get upgraded more and more. Also, at level 5, a second boost exhaust pipe
is added to each vehicle, which will be noticeable when you engage your
boosters. To unlock upgrades, you must buy them in Championship mode.
Bonus vehicles can be earned by winning in the Arcade modes, winning in the
Championship mode, and playing the jackpot in Championship mode. Once
bought or won, upgrades and bonus vehicles become selectable in Arcade and
Practice modes.
============================
C.1 Monster Truck [Type 1]
============================
Also Known As: #64, "Crazy Cruncher"
------------------------------------------------------
Customization- 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6
------------------------------------------------------
Weight- 5800 | 5900 | 6000 | 6100 | 6200 | 6300
Grip- 6.5 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 8.0
Handling- 5.0 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0
Thrust- 7.5 | 8.0 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 9.0 | 9.5
Speed- 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8
------------------------------------------------------
Comments: This is a good all-around vehicle that's easy to use and a good
choice for beginners. It handles all terrain conditions well, allows
generous range for power-up collection, and can out-muscle opponents in
contact situations.
============================
C.2 Monster Truck [Type 2]
============================
AKA: #16, "Shaker"
------------------------------------------------------
Customization- 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6
------------------------------------------------------
Weight- 6000 | 6100 | 6200 | 6300 | 6400 | 6500
Grip- 6.5 | 6.5 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.5 | 8.0
Handling- 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 6.0
Thrust- 7.0 | 7.5 | 8.0 | 7.75 | 8.5 | 9.0
Speed- 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8
------------------------------------------------------
Comments: Basically a slightly bigger, marginally slower version of Type 1.
The differences are pretty insignificant beyond cosmetics, so this is
another good choice for beginners.
====================
C.3 Buggy [Type 1]
====================
AKA: #8, "Annihilator"
------------------------------------------------------
Customization- 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6
------------------------------------------------------
Weight- 1200 | 1250 | 1300 | 1325 | 1350 | 1375
Grip- 0.5 | 0.75 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 2.0
Handling- 5.0 | 5.5 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.5 | 7.0
Thrust- 6.0 | 6.25 | 6.5 | 7.0 | 7.75 | 8.0
Speed- 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 10
------------------------------------------------------
Comments: Tricky to use, as it slides around a lot and is the lightest
vehicle, but it's also the fastest, and when mastered it's arguably the best
vehicle in the game. The trick is to anticipate turns, oversteering early,
and straightening out partway through the turn. It gets major air (and
speed) off of jumps as well--good when you know what you're doing, bad when
you don't. You'll be amazed at what this one can do with some practice.
====================
C.4 Buggy [Type 2]
====================
AKA: #2, "Wild Brat"
------------------------------------------------------
Customization- 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6
------------------------------------------------------
Weight- 1350 | 1375 | 1400 | 1425 | 1450 | 1475
Grip- 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 2.5
Handling- 5.5 | 6.0 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 7.0 | 7.5
Thrust- 5.5 | 6.0 | 6.5 | 6.75 | 7.0 | 7.5
Speed- 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
------------------------------------------------------
Comments: Slides less than the Type 1, making it a friendlier option, but
not quite as fast or light. Good introduction to the buggy, but Type 1 is
ultimately better when mastered.
===================
C.5 Jeep [Type 1]
===================
AKA: #84, "Crusader"
------------------------------------------------------
Customization- 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6
------------------------------------------------------
Weight- 2050 | 2075 | 2100 | 2150 | 2250 | 2300
Grip- 1.5 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 4.0
Handling- 3.5 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 5.0 | 5.5 | 6.0
Thrust- 5.25 | 5.75 | 6.25 | 6.75 | 7.25 | 7.75
Speed- 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 9
------------------------------------------------------
Comments: Looking at those stats you'd probably think this is the worst
vehicle in the game. You'd be sorely mistaken. This jeep handles like a
dream. Its particular combination of grip, handling, and weight allow for
extreme ease in taking turns and all kinds of terrain. This is a great
choice to start with, and works well even at advanced levels. Taking 1st
place and shattering records are commonplace with this other candidate for
best vehicle in the game. Don't be fooled! Try it, and trust me, you'll
see what I mean.
===================
C.6 Jeep [Type 2]
===================
AKA: #36, "Bullet"
------------------------------------------------------
Customization- 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6
------------------------------------------------------
Weight- 1900 | 1950 | 1975 | 2000 | 2075 | 2100
Grip- 4.0 | 4.5 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.5 | 6.0
Handling- 7.0 | 7.5 | 8.0 | 8.5 | 9.0 | 9.5
Thrust- 5.0 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 6.0 | 6.5 | 7.0
Speed- 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8
------------------------------------------------------
Comments: Another great vehicle, plays similarly to its type 1 counterpart,
despite the noticeable gap in stats. Being lighter, with more grip and
handling, translates into it handling a little differently but also quite
effectively. Another great choice for beginners and experts alike, that
will place 1st and break records with ease.
===================
C.7 Quad [Type 1]
===================
AKA: #25, "Nitrate"
------------------------------------------------------
Customization- 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6
------------------------------------------------------
Weight- 3100 | 3150 | 3200 | 3275 | 3300 | 3375
Grip- 5.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 7.0 | 7.5 | 8.0
Handling- 5.0 | 5.5 | 6.0 | 6.5 | 6.25 | 7.0
Thrust- 6.5 | 7.0 | 7.5 | 7.75 | 8.0 | 8.75
Speed- 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
------------------------------------------------------
Comments: BLECH! This vehicle looks sooooo good on paper, but it plays like
crap. It has too much grip for its weight, shape, and handling, and takes
bumps poorly. Steering gets rutted easily, acceleration isn't as good as
its thrust would appear (important when you hit as many walls as you
inevitably will using it), suspension is unforgiving, and the result is a
car that looks stylish and nice sitting on the menu screen, that handles
poorly in the actual game. Beginners be warned... as tempting as it
appears, this is probably the worst choice you can make.
===================
C.8 Quad [Type 2]
===================
AKA: #43, "X-Terminator"
------------------------------------------------------
Customization- 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6
------------------------------------------------------
Weight- 2500 | 2600 | 2650 | 2700 | 2750 | 2875
Grip- 6.5 | 7.0 | 7.5 | 8.0 | 8.5 | 9.0
Handling- 4.5 | 5.0 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 6.0 | 6.0
Thrust- 6.0 | 6.5 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.5 | 8.0
Speed- 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
------------------------------------------------------
Comments: Pretty much a ditto of Type 1, though this one isn't quite so bad.
Still bad, but not quite as awful. Stay away from this one too.
======================
C.9 *BONUS* Vehicles
======================
Monster Truck Bonus AKA: #50, "Destroyer" ? (This logo is hard to read)
This one looks like a modified Quad Type 2 mounted
on monster truck wheels and suspension.
Monster Truck Bonus 2 AKA: #01, "Midway"
This one looks like a Studebaker mounted on monster truck
wheels and suspension. It's decked out with a Midway logo.
Monster Truck Bonus 3 AKA: #5, "Kalisto"
This one looks like an old '50s pickup truck mounted on monster
truck wheels and suspension. It's got a Kalisto logo.
Buggy Bonus AKA: #75, "Maverick"
Funky sporty looking buggy. Pretty slick design overall.
Jeep Bonus AKA: #48, "Savage"
If Mario Andretti and Charles Manson got together
to augment a Desert Storm Humvee...
Quad Bonus AKA: #74, "Slasher"
Cool looking Quad, fashioned similarly to
the Type 1, but highly modified.
Toy Car (Milky) AKA: #1, The Cow, "Daisy"
Toy Car (Pinky) AKA: #2, The Pink Elephant, "Star"
Toy Car (Pouchy) AKA: #3, The Camel, "Cactus"
Toy Car (Squizzy) AKA: #4, The Squirrel, "Nut"
Toy Car (Willy) AKA: #5, The Orca, "Beachball"
Toy Car (Pinguy) AKA: #6, The Penguin, "Fishbone"
-----------------------------------------------------------
Description- M.Trucks | Buggy | Jeep | Quad |Toy Cars
-----------------------------------------------------------
Weight- 6500 | 1375 | 1800 | 3375 | 6000
Grip- 8.0 | 2.0 | 4.0 | 8.0 | 8.0
Handling- 6.0 | 7.0 | 6.0 | 7.0 | 6.0
Thrust- 9.5 | 8.0 | 7.75 | 8.75 | 9.5
Speed- 8 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8
-----------------------------------------------------------
Comments: The Bonus vehicles are cool new models with identical stats to the
Customization 6 of the Type 1 vehicles (except the Monster Truck Bonuses
which weigh a little more.) The Toy Cars are silly creatures in happy
looking monster trucks (same stats, slightly lighter.) Note that none of
these can be used in Championship mode. See notes on Arcade and
Championship modes to learn how they are unlocked.
_________________
-=D. PRACTICE MODE =-
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a versatile mode to play any individual races that you've unlocked
by winning races in Arcade and Championship modes, using any vehicles you've
unlocked in Arcade and Championship modes. You can adjust a couple of
options here to suit the race to your liking. There are no special bonuses
to unlock by racing here.
_______________
-=E. ARCADE MODE =-
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here you can race in sets of back-to-back races either indoors or out. You
must place 1st in each race to advance to the next, and if you win each
race, you will unlock the next series. If you beat the 3rd series, you
unlock a new track in practice mode and a new vehicle. Since the
competition is pretty fierce, and you can use any vehicle, it is a good idea
to unlock some better vehicles in Championship mode to beat the tougher
Arcade series. Any bonus vehicle or customization unlocked in any mode can
be used in the Arcade modes. Any series of tracks of tracks you beat will
unlock the corresponding tracks in Practice mode.
====================
E.1 Arcade Outdoor
====================
Finish Arcade Outdoor Series 3 in 1-player, and you will unlock the Greece
Daylight track and Monster Truck Bonus 2.
Series 1 Race 1: Far West Daylight
Series 1 Race 2: Canada Daylight
Series 1 Race 3: Corsica Daylight
Series 2 Race 1: Scandinavia Daylight
Series 2 Race 2: Jordan Daylight
Series 2 Race 3: Greece Sunset
Series 3 Race 1: Norway Daylight
Series 3 Race 2: Iceland Daylight
Series 3 Race 3: Atlas Daylight
Series 3 Race 4: The Alps Cloudy
===================
E.2 Arcade Indoor
===================
Finish Arcade Indoor Series 3 in 1-player, and you will unlock the Canada
Rain track and Monster Truck Bonus 3.
Series 1 Race 1: Indoor Corsica
Series 1 Race 2: Indoor Canada
Series 2 Race 1: Indoor Scandinavia
Series 2 Race 2: Indoor Far West
Series 3 Race 1: Indoor Iceland
Series 3 Race 2: Indoor Atlas
***HINT*** You can unlock new arcade series by playing them in 2-player
mode. Regardless of who wins each race, if you proceed through each track,
you can unlock each new series. Note, however, that to earn the bonus
tracks and vehicles, you must beat Series 3 in 1-player mode.
_____________________
-=F. CHAMPIONSHIP MODE =-
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In Championship mode, you will play through 22 tracks, accumulating money
for upgrades, and earning points based on performance. Once you begin, you
will keep whichever vehicle you first choose until you win/lose the
championship or start a new game, so choose carefully. When you win, you
will view a very humorous ending, and earn a bonus vehicle. This mode will
earn you 22 of the game's 24 tracks for Practice mode and 10 of the 12
different Bonus vehicles for both Practice and Arcade modes. It is
important to note that the race restart function is disabled here (though
you can still quit, then restart), so it may be a good idea to race a bit in
Practice mode first.
============
F.1 Points
============
Each race you complete in 4th place or higher will allow you to advance to
the next race. Points are earned according to how highly you placed within
the top 4. At the end of each series, your point total must leave you at a
certain place in the standings to earn advancement to the next series of
races. A tie earns you the higher position. Points carry over from one
series to another, so building up a solid lead early can allow you to place
lower later on. Finish in 1st place at the end of 22 races and you win the
game.
===========
F.2 Money
===========
Money, only found in Championship mode, earns you improved customizations to
your vehicle, starting at level 1 and reaching a maximum of level 6. Each
upgrade MUST be bought, so you can forget about skipping an upgrade to earn
the next one faster. To upgrade, it costs the same amount for each vehicle
type:
Customization 2: $5,500
Customization 3: $8,000
Customization 4: $13,000
Customization 5: $19,000
Customization 6: $25,000
To gain cash, you need to win races (duh), and the prize money is based on
how highly you place in each race. Each new series awards higher amounts of
cash per race than the previous one. You can also earn money by picking up
"$" icons found on every track. Greens are worth $50, while golds are worth
$300.
Finally, money can be won in the "jackpot" slot machine. After each race,
the jackpot may appear (it pops up in-between the race info/point standings
and car select/upgrade screens.) You get 10 pulls, costing $100 per pull
(but you may quit at any time if you wish.) There are 6 symbols, match any
three in a row, and you win $3000. Odds are 1 in 36 of winning, but these
odds seem to go up or down, depending on how well you're doing in the
championship, and if you won or lost the last time the jackpot appeared. If
you play all 10 pulls and lose, you will instead win a "Toy Car." There are
6 of these silly guys who are selectable in the Arcade and Practice modes.
Once you've unlocked all 6, if you lose on all 10 pulls, you get nothing.
Whenever you win, the jackpot ends (you don't get any remaining pulls.) How
often the jackpot appears is highly variable. I've played games where I got
jackpots after approximately every other race, and other games where the
jackpot only appeared twice throughout the entire 22 track championship. It
may be somewhat (but not entirely) dependent on how well you're doing in the
point standings.
***HINT*** After each race, make sure you save your game (even if you
forget during the replay, you can exit to the save/load screen from the
points standings menu and save then.) Then if the jackpot appears, you can
reload until you win (or reload if you don't win in say 3 or 5 pulls, if
you're really greedy.) This is a good way to help earn upgrades more
quickly.
==============
F.3 Series 1
==============
Finish in 1st or 2nd in the total point standings to advance. All tracks in
this series are already unlocked in Practice mode.
1st Place: 20 points & $2000
2nd Place: 15 points & $1500
3rd Place: 10 points & $1000
4th Place: 5 points & $500
Race 1: Indoor Corsica**
Race 2: Far West Daylight
Race 3: Indoor Canada
Race 4: Canada Daylight**
Race 5: Corsica Daylight
==============
F.4 Series 2
==============
Finish in 1st or 2nd in the total point standings to advance. Each race you
advance past will unlock the same course in Practice mode.
1st place: 28 points & $2800
2nd place: 21 points & $2100
3rd place: 14 points & $1400
4th place: 7 points & $700
Race 1: Scandinavia Daylight
Race 2: Indoor Scandinavia
Race 3: Jordan Daylight**
Race 4: Indoor Far West
Race 5: Greece Sunset**
==============
F.5 Series 3
==============
Finish in 1st in the total point standings to advance. Each race you
advance past will unlock the same course in Practice mode.
1st place: 36 points & $3600
2nd place: 27 points & $2700
3rd place: 18 points & $1800
4th place: 9 points & $900
Race 1: Norway Daylight
Race 2: Indoor Iceland
Race 3: Corsica Rain**
Race 4: Far West Night
Race 5: Iceland Daylight
==============
F.6 Series 4
==============
Finish in 1st in the total point standings to win the championship, a bonus
vehicle, and view the ending. Again, each race you advance past will unlock
the same course in Practice mode. Bonus vehicles are unlocked in Practice
and Arcade modes. Winning with either Monster Truck earns the Monster Truck
Bonus, winning with either Buggy earns the Buggy Bonus, etc. If you win the
championship using the second type of the same vehicle you've already won
with, you will earn no additional bonus vehicles (there are only 4 total
bonus vehicles unlocked by winning, one Monster Truck, Buggy, Jeep, and
Quad.)
1st place: 44 points & $4400
2nd place: 33 points & $3300
3rd place: 22 points & $2200
4th place: 11 points & $1100
Race 1: Indoor Atlas
Race 2: Atlas Daylight**
Race 3: Norway Night
Race 4: Scandinavia Storm**
Race 5: The Alps Cloudy
Race 6: Iceland Snow
Race 7: Atlas Sandstorm**
** Indicates the courses that typically present the most difficulty taking
1st place. Since you can still win the championship without taking 1st in
each race, remember that some 2nd and 3rd place finishes are acceptable.
Plan on allowing yourself lower place finishes on these courses to cut down
on frustration. Eventually you'll be able to take 1st on every track, but
until then, if you are having trouble with a particular track, just take a
loss and move on.
================
F.7 The Ending
================
After you win the championship, you're treated to a great FMV sequence. It
starts off showing a montage of races, etc. with credits rolling which is
pretty standard fare. But after that, it turns supremely goofy... a bizarre
3D cartoon show ensues, taking place in an auditorium, with each of the
developers (highly altered) stepping out for a curtain call while engaging
in all kinds of crazy antics. All the while, some hilarious music plays
that must be heard to be believed, because it simply defies description.
I've deciphered the chorus lyrics (I think...) after hearing them several
times. In case you're curious here they are:
"4 Wheel Thunder!
It can go faster than light.
4 Wheel Thunder!
So fast you can travel in time.
4 Wheel Thunder!
To drive it, you need a special suit.
4 Wheel Thunder!
I'll see you yesterday, dude!"
I haven't been able to make out the rest of the song. If anyone can
understand any of the other verses, please let me know, I'm very curious.
Anyway, after the song ends, three developers dressed as the "Men in Black"
open a door and zap you with the little memory eraser device from the MIB
movie. Finally the credits start flying through space, and ends with a cool
"4 Wheel Thunder" logo display with lightning rippling through it. All in
all, a very cool ending, particularly for a racing game, a genre not known
for such frivolities... make sure you beat Championship mode, because it's
well worth the spectacle.
______________________
-=G. INDOOR TRACK GUIDE =-
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The indoor tracks in 4WT are not exactly the highlight of this game, but
they do add another dimension, as they play very differently from the
outdoor tracks. Indoor tracks are much shorter, less interesting, and
generally more technical than the outdoor variety and lack multiple paths
and shortcuts. There are also only 3 opponents (when playing versus the
CPU), as opposed to 11 outdoor, and races consist of more laps (4-7.)
====================
G.1 Indoor Corsica
====================
Laps: 7
Though this is the first track you must race in Arcade and Championship
modes this also happens to be one of the most difficult. The track is
short, but the last stretch is quite tough to take properly. There is a set
of large bumps that send you airborne just in front of a very sharp U-turn
before the finish line. You do not want to boost through this section as
you'll go crashing into the wall and be way out of position. As difficult
as restraint may be, force yourself to go slowly, so you can avoid slamming
into a wall and instead take the turn tightly (or at least not too badly.)
The handbrake (Default B-Button) can help out a lot in turning sharply.
===================
G.2 Indoor Canada
===================
Laps: 4
This is the longest indoor track and it has the most interesting design.
It's another pretty challenging course (seems as though the indoor tracks go
from hardest to easiest), so you need to be careful again. The toughest
parts are two sections in tunnels with two tight sharp 90 degree turns one
right after the other. Go slowly, turn sharply, and treat them like
U-turns. Fortunately bumps aren't too problematic here. In Championship
mode, look for a gold $ icon hidden behind a billboard located along the
right-hand wall of the first large loop in the track. It's a bit out of the
way, but not too bad for a $300 pickup. Get it if you feel confident enough
to still win with the minor detour involved.
========================
G.3 Indoor Scandinavia
========================
Laps: 5
This track is pretty dark for an indoor track, with a number of unlit
caves/tunnels. Turn up the brightness on your screen for this one if you
can. It's the second longest indoor track but not too hard. Bumps aren't
bad, so mostly you just have to worry about taking turns properly. Watch
out in Championship mode for inconveniently placed green $ icons. Some can
be really hard to get, and for the money, it's really not worth it, unless
you have a victory securely in hand.
=====================
G.4 Indoor Far West
=====================
Laps: 7
This is a very short track with lots of nasty bumps. Maintaining proper
angle and speed is the key to winning here. Use boost sparingly or you'll
get thrown way off track.
====================
G.5 Indoor Iceland
====================
Laps: 6
This is a medium length indoor track that's got a pretty interesting design.
There are a few problematic bumps to watch your speed and angle on. The one
really tricky area to be careful of is on the jumps following the first wide
loop in the course (just past a green $ laying out wide in the turn.) Here
you should NOT hit the jump with the red boost, but instead hit the jump
with the blue. The blue jump is earlier, which will allow you to boost top
speed through the jump and still recover quickly enough to take the
following sharp right turn at full speed and control (and safely hit the
following jump with a red boost.) Hitting the red jump instead will make
the following turn much more difficult, and will also send you directly into
some nasty barricades that are placed just before the turn if you don't
angle yourself toward the dead center of the track. Just past the
barricades is a gold $ icon (in Championship mode) which is VERY
inconveniently placed, and may involve going in reverse or doing a circle to
get. Only go for this if you have totally mastered the course and can
afford losing a few seconds.
==================
G.6 Indoor Atlas
==================
Laps: 5
This is a short, virtually bump free course. There are a few somewhat
technical turns, but the track is wide, and the race is smooth and easy.
You should have no trouble with this course, particularly if you've passed
all of the previous ones. Easiest indoor course, bar none.
_______________________
-=H. OUTDOOR TRACK GUIDE =-
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The outdoor tracks are the meat of 4WT gameplay. These are large wide-open
tracks that are much much longer than the indoor ones, much more
interesting, and are jam-packed with multiple paths, insane terrain, and
shortcuts. Here you'll race only 2-4 laps, but still have much longer races
because of their sheer size. You'll also race against a full field of 11
opponents when facing the CPU, instead of just 3. Winning these tracks is
often heavily dependent on taking the right paths and shortcuts, so here
I'll be giving as good a textual description of what to do in each race to
be victorious as I can. 8 of the 10 outdoor tracks have alternate versions
with special weather/lighting conditions (with some other visual
modifications and interesting new scenery as well.) For races in the dark,
it is highly advised that you play with the lights off and/or the brightness
turned up on your screen to help compensate for the lower visibility.
=================================
H.1 Far West [Daylight & Night]
=================================
Laps: 2
This is the least difficult outdoor track design by a large margin. The
course is extremely wide, straight-forward, and lacks any difficult turns,
or sinister terrain. But as easy as it is to race nearly flawlessly here,
there is one important shortcut you MUST take to avoid taking a likely loss.
Approximately 1/3 of the way through, a bit before the little "Alamo"
wall/barricade there's a turn where you see a stone wall with a flashing
arrow pointing you to the right. But what you need to do is go left here
instead through some brush. In Championship mode there are 2 green $ icons
here as a bonus. Taking this shortcut will shave several seconds off your
time and usually result in instantly passing one or more opponents. This
can be tough to see/remember in the night race, but you still need to take
it if you want to win. Some other useful shortcuts are as follows: Just
through the ghost-town, cut in-between a building and the road (there's a
green $ icon here as well.) At the "Alamo" hug the left wall instead of
aiming for the center. This is shorter, gives you a ramp jump over the
wall, and two green $ icons to boot. It's also much easier than steering
through the narrow center archway. Finally, just before the mining area,
there's a hill along the right edge which is a handy shortcut where you'll
get another couple of green $ icons for your trouble.
==============================
H.2 Canada [Daylight & Rain]
==============================
Laps: 2
This track has lots of caves and some tricky shortcuts. There's quite a bit
of money lying around that actually guides you through minor shortcuts
early. The one really important shortcut to take here is inside the cave
that has an underground bridge. Here you want to cross the bridge, but at
the end of the bridge, before exiting the large open chamber, immediately
swerve hard to your left. There's a tunnel here that's a major shortcut and
is pretty crucial to winning. Racing this one in the rain is much more
difficult, but fortunately, the only time you'll ever be racing in the rain
is in Practice mode, as it is not part of the Championship or Arcade
circuits.
===============================
H.3 Corsica [Daylight & Rain]
===============================
Laps: 2
This is another track that has one critical shortcut that helps you win.
Maybe about 1/2 way through the course, there's a flashing arrow pointing
you to the left sitting along the edge of a cliff. Instead of following the
arrow, go over some brush just to the right of the arrow for a substantial
shortcut. The shortcut is pretty vicious, and you may hit some walls, but
even so, you'll save a lot of time. There's another substantial hidden path
early in the race, but it doesn't really save you much, if any, time (though
there is a green $ icon along it.) Look along the left wall of the mountain
for a small cave entrance obscured by weeds if you want to explore it.
There's a cool waterfall back there, but again this path is not very useful.
Note that the rain track in Championship mode is extremely difficult to
place 1st in, so if there's a track in which to accept a loss, it's that
one.
====================================
H.4 Scandinavia [Daylight & Storm]
====================================
Laps: 2
Scandinavia is a major pain in the rear end. It's not too tough to win
either race due to the weak CPU here, but this is still a frustrating track,
made exponentially more annoying during a thunderstorm at night. The key
here is not shortcuts or taking the right path, but handling the perpetually
rocky terrain. This is a bumpy ride that punishes you if you lift off at
the wrong angle or speed. In the storm, seeing the rocks is almost
impossible, so try to stay as straight as you can, and don't go too fast in
the tougher areas. There's a nice little shortcut at the very start, where
the track turns left, but you can drive right off a cliff blocked by some
small brush. You'll briefly drive through some water then back up a hill to
your left onto the normal track again. There's a gold $ icon down here, but
be careful if you decide to get it, because it's at a dead end. If you
swing out wide to the right and do almost a U-turn you can safely get it
(and still win, because the CPU is pretty weak here), but it might be better
to ignore it if you're a beginner. When you see a branch where you can into
a cave or left to stay outside, the cave is marginally shorter, but both
paths are pretty close, and if you stay outside, if you angle yourself
properly, you can get the green $ icon just in front of the road split.
About 2/3 of the way through the course, just before the cabin, there's a
very wide open expanse, with lots of mud. If you swing out very wide to the
left, you can pick up another gold $ icon pretty easily. When you pass the
cabin, stay left to go across a bridge for the slightly shorter path.
=====================
H.5 Jordan Daylight
=====================
Laps: 4
This track is a real maze, with paths splitting off everywhere you look.
It's also one of only 2 outdoor tracks without an alternate version and the
only 4-lap outdoor track. The most difficult aspect of this race is
confusion, as losing your sense of direction and getting lost can be real
problems. Fortunately, pretty much any route you decide to take will allow
you to win, just so long as you handle it well. The best advice to give is
to race this one several times, trying out different routes, then pick the
path that agrees with you most. Then take that path every time until you've
learned it well enough to avoid making major mistakes. Once you do that,
you should be able to win. There's a lot of money here in Championship
mode, even one or two gold $ icons, but it's best to ignore money collection
until you've gotten pretty familiar with the track. One particularly tricky
area to watch out for is a place where you may have to make a sharp right
turn toward a large adobe house. If you don't slow down ahead of time, then
take the turn very tightly, you'll find yourself ramming straight into the
house, and have a very difficult recovery involving reversing and realigning
yourself. If you take this route, memorize where the turn is and slow down
EARLY to avoid catastrophe.
================================
H.6 Greece [Daylight & Sunset]
================================
Laps: 3
One of the more challenging courses in the game, this one gives most people
a lot of trouble, with its wicked branching turns and bumps placed at the
most inconvenient places. It also doesn't help that you first race this one
at sunset which may look pretty cool but reduces visibility at the same
time. There's a branch at the VERY beginning if you turn to go onto the
beach, but unfortunately this isn't really a shortcut. The only significant
shortcut here is pretty early in the race, where there's a left turn
signaled by flashing arrows on the face of a cliff. Look at the cliff
closely and you'll see some weeds covering the mouth of a cave. Go in here
for a nice shortcut that has a green $ icon to reward you in Championship
mode. A little bit further on, when the road splits sharp to the left,
straight into a cave, or toward the right onto a hill over the cave, take
the sharp left. This is another painful and difficult shortcut, but it's
the shortest path. The cave is easy and has a nice red boost inside which
you can take and still win, but if you get used to taking the left here
instead, winning will be an easier task. Near the end is a branch that goes
left or right. Left again is tougher but shorter. Either way you can win,
but if you get accustomed to going left you'll be better off in the long
run.
===============================
H.7 Norway [Daylight & Night]
===============================
Laps: 3
This track is sooooo very easy to win on, because there is just a ridiculous
amount of major shortcuts you can take, and the CPU is usually too dumb to
take advantage of them. First off, there's a wide circular turn at the
start, where if you turn sharply right, you can cut across a frozen lake.
Then as you come around the next turn, there's an arrow pointing you left.
If you veer off to the right instead, just past the arrow, you can cut
across some more ice under an archway that is not only another major
shortcut, but has a gold $ icon in Championship mode sitting there for your
troubles. A little further on, there's a partially hidden path through some
brush which you should NOT take, but instead, cut between a gap in some ice
formations toward the right where a green $ icon sits in Championship mode
(this route is much faster.) Once you take this route, you'll go down a
bumpy stretch just before a U-turn. But instead of following the ice road
all the way around, slow down early, slam the handbrake and U-turn long
before then, to drive off the cliff into the cave for more substantial time
trimmings. After this watch out for a ramp over a frozen river near the
cabin. If you instead drive over the river to the right of the ramp, you
can pick up another green $ icon in Championship mode, and make sure you're
able to make a sharp right turn immediately past the river. Finally, near
the end there's a large U-turn you can bypass altogether by jumping through
a giant "O" formation in the ice for yet another major shortcut. If you
take all of these shortcuts, you can be in first place by the end of the
second lap. I pity anyone who is unable to win this race. On a side note,
isn't Norway part of Scandinavia? Oh well, never mind that...
===============================
H.8 Iceland [Daylight & Snow]
===============================
Laps: 3
This is the coolest track in the game (no pun intended.) Did the game
designers forget that Iceland is in actuality a very green and pleasant
country, named "Iceland" by the Vikings simply to throw off early settlers?
Oh well, I guess they get their share of snow there too, so never mind that
as well... I love this track regardless. This course has huge changes in
elevation as you go up, down, through mountains, take large jumps, and is
overall a very fun design. It is, however, a fairly tough course until you
know your way around. Similarly to Jordan, winning here is more about
learning any path well than taking the right shortcuts. When going inside
mountains, be careful of lava, which amazingly doesn't harm your vehicle,
but does have a tendency to slow you down a little. After going through the
first cave, when you come to the second one, you have the option of going
under or over it. If you veer off to the left, you can go over, and hit a
HUGE jump, that if taken properly with the right vehicle will bounce you
over an icy ridge. You have to be careful here to either go just low enough
to clear it cleanly underneath, or hit the top high enough. If you hit the
top high, you'll bounce over, and catch so much air that while boosting
you'll hit speeds well over 200 MPH. But if you hit the ice formation
head-on, you will lose a lot of time, so try to avoid that. In general it
is probably safer to instead go under the mountain, through the lava cave,
but this jump is a lot of fun to try to master. The only other important
route note is to go right at the intersection just before the airplane
parked on the ice. Going left is a bit of a longcut so avoid going that
way. Other than that, most of the routes are pretty even, so it really
doesn't matter which way you go as long as you race a good race.
==================================
H.9 Atlas [Daylight & Sandstorm]
==================================
Laps: 3
This desert track is extremely challenging in the same way as Jordan but
more so. Definitely a race you should allow yourself a loss in during
Championship mode, this will take a good deal of practice to master. Racing
in the sandstorm doesn't make things any easier, but fortunately you don't
have to do that until the very end of Championship mode. There are paths
branching everywhere again here and the course is pretty long, particularly
for a 3-lap track, but most of the time one path isn't substantially shorter
than another. Again, racing a good race is simply the key to success here,
not finding huge shortcuts. In general, however, going left is shorter than
going right, but often more tricky. There is one nice shortcut though
midway through the course where there's a split to the left or right. This
split is where the left path goes into a stream that flows through an
archway in the cliff. Go through that archway to the left to shave a good
bit of time off each lap. Other than that, remember left is usually
shorter, and just practice until you're good enough to win, or accept a
loss.
======================
H.10 The Alps Cloudy
======================
Laps: 2
The Alps Cloudy, interestingly is the other race without an alternate
version, and has no basic daylight version like all the others. The cloudy
setting for this race is very appropriate, as the foreboding clouds signify
a dark and vicious change in the weather, the way this track begins pleasant
and fun but turns absolutely brutal toward the end. Fortunately, the CPU
doesn't have an easy time with this track at all, so even if you have major
problems getting through the latter portions, you should still be able to
pull off a win. There are lots of hills and jumps early on, which allow for
some of the biggest air in the game. This is both fun and rewarding, as
you'll be able to pass CPU opponents with ease as you sail through the sky
at high speed. But about 2/3 of the way through, the track starts winding
through tight mountain passes with sharp turn, after sharp turn, after sharp
turn. There are some shortcuts scattered about, but they usually aren't big
time savers or any less difficult than the main road. During the tight
mountain pass turns you need to SLOW DOWN, going at slower speeds and using
less boost than ever before. Even though it may seem like you're letting
the competition get away by not using boost and applying the brakes
liberally, trust me, the CPU has to go extremely slow too. Accept the
slower pace and you'll experience much less frustration here. At the very
end of the race where you can see some cable cars overhead, there's a nice
little shortcut to the right through a field that leads to the finish line
and saves a bit of time. Despite the difficult layout of this course,
beating the weak CPU here shouldn't be too challenging.
_______________
-=I. FINAL NOTES =-
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now that I've added detailed track descriptions, I'm pretty much done with
the FAQ/Strategy Guide, and intend no more major additions at this point.
If you know any new previously unpublished codes or have figured out more of
the lyrics to the 4 Wheel Thunder ending theme song, please let me know.
Information on 2-player modes is not included, as that is all detailed well
enough in the manual.
If you find this guide useful, I'm glad, if you don't I'm sorry, but you get
what you pay for. ;) Regardless, please only send e-mail if you've got new
information for the guide. E-mail can be sent to: incossee_1@excite.com
Thanks to Kalisto for making a superb game, and for my money, the best racer
on Dreamcast to date. Thanks to Midway for the great DC support publishing
some of the best Dreamcast games around. I'm glad to see them once again
making something other than rehashed Mortal Kombat games. Thanks to Dave at
cheatcc.com for access to the quick start trick and Game Shark codes.
This guide is for private use only. Any commercial use of any kind,
unauthorized distribution or reprint anywhere in any form, without consent
of the original author is prohibited. This guide is copyrighted by its
author 2000.
This guide is in no way affiliated with Midway, Kalisto, or SEGA.
4 WHEEL THUNDER is copyrighted 2000 by Kalisto Entertainment.
4 WHEEL THUNDER is a trademark of Midway Home Entertainment.
Sega Dreamcast is a trademark of SEGA.
Fin.